Molding-machine.



PATBNTED APR. ll, 1905.

D. W. LLOYD. MOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 23,1004.

PATENTED APR. l1, 1905.

D. W. LLOYD.

MOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 23,1904.

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'PATENTBD APR. ll, 1905. D. W. LLOYD.

MOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1904.

Patented April 11, 1905.

UNTTne TATns PATENT UFFTCE.

DAVID lV. LLOYD, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

NlOLDlNG-NIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 787,198, dated April 11, 1905.

Application filed July 23, 1904. Serial No. 217,814.

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Be it linown that l, Davie ll". LLoYl), aciti- Zen of the United States, residing' at littserence being' had therein to the accompanying' drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure l is a side elevation of my improved molding-machine. Fig'. i). isa plan view. Fig. I is an end view. Fig'. L is a cross-section on the line IV lVof Fig'. l, showing thesides extended to their limit in dotted lines. Fig'. is a longitudimd sectional view of the machine indicated by the line Y V of Fig. 2. Fig'. G is a similar view showing' the end gates tilted outwal'dly. Fig'. T is a detail sectional view showing' the adjListing-screw, bushings, housings, and sides assembled, indicated bythe line Yll Yll of Fig'. 2. Fig'. Sis a detail view of one of the housings. Fig. 9 is a detail view showing' the shield for protecting' the screw.

)ly invention consists of an improvement in machines for molding' building-blocks or any similar articles of concrete, cement, or other plastic material.

The objects in view have been to provide a machine of simple construction and ready and easy :uljustment adapted to a wide rang'e of sizes, and particularlyY adapted to the manufacture of an absolutely accurate uniform block.

Referring now to the drawings, 2 represents the supporting'-framework of thel machine, made in any convenient manner of suitable material, as angle or other structural form, and provided with longitudinal platform-bars I, one at each side, having' notches or recesses i, adapted to receive and support cross-bars 5 for the bottom-tmard, and also the end-g'ates t, one at each end. These gates are preferably of cast-iron and provided at their bottoms, inside of their center of gravity toward the interior of the machine, with trunnion-bars T, also seated in recesses 1t. Several such recesses are provided in the platformbars at their ends and at each side, allowing for the location of the bars 5 and trunnion 7 at varying' positions endwise, according' to the leng'th of block desired.

S 8 are the sides of the machine, also preferably of cast-iron, arranged vertically at each side and adapted to be moved inwardly i and outwardly toward each other simultaneously by means of threaded shafts i) at each end of the machine. The threads of each shaft at each end are right and left, respectively, and engage bushings 1f) in housings 11, mounted in each end of the sides 8, as clearly shown, the sides embracing' the housings, which in turn bear by a lip 12 upon the end bars 13 of the machine, thus relieving' the weight 'from the threaded shafts.

'.lhe housings 11, as shown, are provided with top, bottom, and inner end grooves arrang'ed to receive the corresponding' surrounding' terminal bearing portions of the sides. The bushings l0 are inserted and secured to the housings, which by their [langes at each side of the grooves engage and transmit the moving' power of the screws to the sides. By this construction the entire screw', bushings, and housing's may be moved endwise from the sides and as readily inserted without taking' apart.

The sides are provided with diagonally-located cam projections 11 and oppositely-located bearing-lugs 15, respectively, by which the end gates are forced inwardly and maintained vertically, as in Fig'. 5, against end thrust during' filling' and packing' of the machine.

The shafts 9 are geared together by sprocketwheels lb' 1G and a confleeting-chain at one side, one of the wheels or the shaft being' provided with a crank-handle 1T, by which means simultaneous movement is imparted to the shafts in one direction or the other to open or close, as will be readily understood.

AY base-board 18 of a length to lit between the end gates when erect and of a width corresponding' to the desired width of the block rests upon the cross-lmrs 5, as shown. lVhen the sides are separated, as in Fig. et, the end gates fall outwardly by gravity against shafts t), allowing' the base-I )oai'd and the molded block to be removed and a new board inserted.

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Upon reversing the shafts the sides are drawn together until brought into contact with the base-board, the cams 14 meanwhile bearing against the diagonal sides of the end gates and forcing them inwardly to a vertical position, the gates also then being' clamped between the sides and also resting outwardly against the bases of the cams and the abutments l5, as already described. lt will be seen that by the location of the trunnions 7 the gates will always bear outwardly toward the cams, and these, as well as the abutments l5, are preferably ad justabl y secured to the sides, so that they may be set inwardly to correspond with inward location of the g'ates in trunnion-bearings 4.

F or the purpose of protecting the screws 9 from the material being used shields 19 are secured upon the outer sides of the end gates, preferably arranged in the arc of a circle from the center of the trunnion-bearings, as shown, thus completely covering' them at all positions of the gates.

Vhen desired, several blocks of reduced size may be made at one time by inserting' cross-partitions Q0 (indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5) of the full height of thesides, or two or more blocks of narrower width Inay be made by inserting longitudinal partitions 2l between the end gates in the same manner,

said. cross or longitudinal partitions resting on the base-board. 1t will be observed that the lateral adjustment of the sides may be made within a comparatively wide range, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and a special advantage of such construction is that l am thereby enabled to use the machine to ad vantage in makinga double block provided with a breaking-groove centrally along its bottom, ends, and top. This adaptation of the machine is indicated in dotted lines by the groove-forming edges or partitions QQ, consisting of strips inserted between the end ,gates at the bottom and top and also vertically against the gates in alinenient with such partitions, by which means such a longitudinal surroundinggroove is formed in the block during the molding operation. rlhese partitions may be merely inserted at the desired positions to subdivide the block into two or more sections, or they may be made permanent in the base-board and end gates, the gates being provided with receiving-slots for the top partition, and this adaptation of the machine will be readily understood without any further explanation. An especial advantage of forming blocks in this manner is that after being partially dried the blocks may be split open by a chisel inserted in the groove. The block will break apart with a natural fracture, the outer terminal edges of which will coincide throughout with the top, bottom, and end grooves, thereby retaining the general dimensions of the block as determined by the grooves, and the intervening separated portion will have the appearance of a natural break, thus giving a more realistic and desirable finish than can be secured by a rough-face mold and with a consequently varying surface.

The operation of the machine will be readily understood from the foregoing' description. It is very simple, strong, accurate, composed of few parts, and is readily taken apart or adjusted to use in the manner described. It may be utilized, changed, or varied by the skilled mechanic in various details or features of construction; but all such changes or variations are to be considered as within thc scope of the following claims.

iVhat I claim is l. A molding-machine provided with permanently-upright laterally-adjustable sides, inwardly-adjustable tilting ends in operative engagement therewith, and means for adjusting the sides simultaneously, substantially as set forth.

2. A molding-machine comprising a supporting-base, tilting ends, and permanentlyupright laterally-adjustable sides adapted to operatively engage said tilting ends and to clamp the ends and base, substantially as set forth.

3. A molding-machine provided with longitudinal bearing-bars having journal-bearingreceiving recesses, cross base-bars set therein, tilting end gates also mounted in said recesses, and laterally-adjustable sides, substantially as set forth.

4C. A molding-machine provided with longitudinal bearing bars having receiving-recesses, cross base-bars set therein, tilting end gates also mounted in said recesses, and laterally-adjustable sides provided with cams for actuating the end gates, substantially as set forth.

5. A molding-machine provided with longitudinal bearing bars having receiving-recesses, cross base-bars set therein, tilting end gates also mounted in said recesses, and laterally-adjustable sides provided with cams and abutments for actuating and supporting the end gates, substantially as set forth.

6. A molding-machine provided with longitudinal bearingbars having receivingrecesses, cross base-bars set therein, tilting end gates also mounted in said recesses, and laterally-adj ustablesides, provided with threaded bearings, with oppositely-threaded adjustingscrews in engagement therewith, substantially as set forth.

7. A molding-machine provided with longitudinal bearing-bars having receivingrecesses, cross base-bars set therein, tilting end gates also mounted in said recesses, and laterally-adjustable sides provided with threaded bearings, with oppositely-threaded adjustingscrews in engagement therewith, and means for actuating the screws simultaneously, substantially as set forth.

8. In a molding-machine, the combination roo IIO

ISO

of a supporting-framework provided with trunnion-bearings, a removable base-board, tilting' end gates mounted in the bearings, and laterally-adjustable sides provided with means for engaging' and adjusting the end gates, substantially as set forth.

9. A molding-machine having permanentlyupright sides and provided with outwardlytilting end gates mounted on bearing-trunnions located at one side of their center of gravity, substantially as set forth.

V10. A molding-machine provided with outwardly-tilting end gates mounted on bearingtrunnions located at one side of their center of grav ity and laterally-adj ustable sides provided with means for forcing the end gates inwardly, substantially as set forth.

ll. ln a molding-machine the combination of a supportingframework provided with trunnion-bearings, a removable base-board, tilting' end gates mounted in the bearings, and laterally-adjustable sides provided with eams adapted to engage the end gates to foree them inwardly, substantially as set forth.

l2. The combination of asupporting-frame,

a removable base-board, tilting' end gates, laterally-adjustable sides provided with cams engaging the end gates, and right and left hand adjusting-screws engaging' threaded portions of the sides, with means for actuating the screws, substantially as set forth.

13. The combination with the adjustingserews for the sides, of tilting' end gates aetuated by the sides provided with shields extending over the screws, substantially as set forth.

14e. In a molding-machine, the combination with the base-board, oppositely-adjustable tilting ends, and permanently-npright laterally-:uljustable sides; of grooveforming partitions clamped between the oppositelyadjust-able ends or sides, extending across the mold area and adapted to form grooves in the block, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presenee of two witnesses.

DAVlD lV. LLOYD.

fitnessesr Jas. J. h'IeArne, C. M. CLARKE. 

